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Latest issue

This issue has a strong theme of ‘Impact’ — be it the impact that the HEFCE-driven assessment exercise has had on UK higher education institutions, or the impact that pharmaceutical companies have with respect to drug development. A constant thread throughout the issue is the
important impact that the scientific community has on the health and welfare of our society.

This issue comprises a collection of five fascinating articles navigating the threat of antimicrobial resistance. There are also the regular updates from meetings and young pharmacologists and BPS Trustee Richard Green discusses the importance of the Impact Factor, something which affects many pharmacologists.

In this issue we bring together pharmacologists from across the globe from Mexico, Nigeria and Turkey to reflect not only the broad range of disciplines under the pharmacology umbrella, but also the wealth of knowledge and diversity of members from BPS and other pharmacological societies from across the globe.

As usual there is something for almost everyone in this issue. Exciting new developments in the treatment of CNS disorders are described in two articles that cover stem cell therapy in stroke and drugs for pain relief. The complex process of drug development is covered in an article on the ground breaking drug, vismodegib. This was the first drug targeting the Hedgehog signalling pathway to be approved.

In this issue we report on another immensely successful year for BPS particularly in respect to the ongoing development of member services, activities, events, education and public engagement. We are beholden to BPS members, editors, contributors, committees and staff for their unstinting support and efforts that enhance the Society’s national standing and international reach.

In this special issue we invite you to celebrate the truly inspiring, dedicated and remarkable work of both individuals and institutions who fundamentally changed our understanding of biology, created the foundations of an unrivalled modern healthcare system, and who devised what was perhaps the most ambitious scientific project of all time to decode human life at the molecular level. As we honour and marvel at 60 years since the publication of the structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick in Nature in 1953; 65 years since the birth of the NHS in 1948; and the 10 years since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, we reflect and pay tribute to key individuals who trail-blazed and innovated, ultimately leading to greater understanding of disease and engineering of new treatments with patient care at its heart.

The 2012 Nobel Prize for Chemistry was shared by Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka in the field of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs are an area of intense interest for many BPS members and it is fitting that this issue reviews the impact these award winning discoveries have made. Articles from The Leicester Group, Fiona Marshall (Heptares Therapeutics Ltd) and Margaret Cunningham, one of our young pharmacologists, reflect the widespread interest and activity in this field.

Pharmacology touches everyone’s lives at some point and people are hungry for reliable information presented in a readily-accessible way. As pharmacologists it is essential that we are capable of answering this need and to this end, the External Affairs committee organized a symposium Raising the profile of pharmacology though public engagement on the final day at the Annual Meeting of 2012. This was a new departure for the society as we included an element of professional development in a new symposium format. There was a mixture of talks and interactive discussion sessions where delegates had the opportunity to consider how to put what they’ve learned into practice.

The European Congress of Pharmacology is hosted in 2012 by the Spanish Pharmacological Society and will take place in the beautiful city of Granada. EPHAR 2012 provides an opportunity for pharmacologists to come together and attend symposia covering the whole process of
drug development from molecule to medicine. BPS is delighted to be joining Pharmacological Societies from across Europe to support the 6th European Congress of Pharmacology.
In celebration of EPHAR 2012 this edition of Pharmacology Matters focuses on some of the issues that affect, and hopefully interest, pharmacologists from across Europe.

Does pharmacology matter? David Trist’s article not only reminds us all just how important pharmacology is to the drug discovery process, but it touches on some of the hurdles pharmacologists are facing as they play their respective parts in developing new medicines. In this issue, several of our pharmacological ‘Olympians’ address some of these obstacles in
more detail.

An industrial revolution is underway, the pharmaceutical industry is in transition, and to quote (sort of) Charles Darwin it is those most adaptable to change that will survive. This issue looks at the blurring of traditional boundaries between academia and industry as drug discovery navigates the current economic turbulence.

The BPS is committed to providing lifelong learning support for not only pharmacologists and aspiring pharmacologists, but to anyone for whom an understanding of pharmacology would be useful. In order to provide this support, and encourage a first-rate learning environment, we are building resources to meet the demands and evolving needs of educators and students. This issue, an Education special, highlights not only what BPS offers in the way of educational resources, but it also presents an insight into the future of a pharmacological education.

The state of UK science is rarely out of the headlines these days, the articles in this issue stress the value of long term commitment and investment in the future of UK Pharma, and argue that the UK can maintain its strong position in world science if it evolves successfully.

Recreational drug taking is a subject that sparks intense and often polarized debate. This issue
explores the subject from a pharmacological perspective and examines the physical effects of: mephedrone, alcohol, cannabis, and cognitive enhancers.

Pharmacologists from across the globe debated the hottest topics in basic and clinical pharmacology at Worldpharma 2010. As a tribute to the ‘global gathering’ this issue of Pharmacology Matters focuses specifically on pharmacology and its application around the world. This issue also examines the progress that has been made in tackling diseases of global importance, focusing specifically on tuberculosis, malaria, cardiovascular diseases and HIV, four of the big killers.

The Winter issue of Pharmacology Matters celebrated Charles Darwin at 200. This issue contains an array of articles covering the discovery of DNA’s structure; the Human Genome Project and the emerging field of genomics; the promise of personalized medicines; and the embracing of genetic techniques by pharmacologists in their everyday research and thinking.

Timed to coincide with NICE’s 10 year anniversary, and the EACPT 2009 meeting in Edinburgh; this issue contains articles from the Chairman of NICE, Professor Sir Michael Rawlins and the President of EACPT Professor David Webb. A copy of this issue were distributed to all delegates at the EACPT Congress in Edinburgh, and Heads of Pharmacy departments in the UK.

Focused to complement a series of articles due for publication in the British Journal of Pharmacology (BJP) later this year. This issue entitled 'Advances in Nutritional Pharmacology', edited by Professor Cherry Wainwright, focuses on the value of dietary components to cardiovascular health.

Highlighting many of the BPS activities past and present, reflecting the BPS commitment and contribution to pharmacology. The issue contains articles from across the pharmacology spectrum, including contributions from an A-Level science student and an honorary member of the BPS.

In keeping with the EPHAR meeting in Manchester which was co-hosted by BPS, the first hard copy issue of Pharmacology Matters has a European theme. Copies were made available to all EPHAR delegates to raise awareness of BPS activities to a pan European audience.